I always thought that ABC, of the 3 broadcast networks, has traditionally been the fairest of the bunch. I watched ABC News religiously in the days of Frank Reynolds, whom I mourned greatly at his death - it was like a certain father figure from my youth had passed away. Reynolds was so well respected that Ronald and Nancy Reagan attended his funeral at Arlington (he had been a decorated NCO in WWII). Peter Jennings who stepped over from the London desk to take over Frank's chair and did a fair job as well.

What I admired with them is that you had in impossible time trying to figure out if they were Republican or Democrat. Reynolds was absolutely equitable - I still have no idea who he might have voted for. Jennings was a bit more transparent, but still very good at trying to stay balanced.

Forget all that now. ABC is starting next week a huge PR campaign in support of Obama's health care reform, including hosting ABC News from the White House and a deluge of special programming in prime time, Good Morning America, Nightline, and so on. The promotion will last 9 days.

So far, no serious problems - it is news after all. But here's the rub:

ABC has decided to exclude any opposing viewpoints from the discussion!

I find that unbelievable. I hope ABC's news division gets boycotted for this and the entire lot gets sacked (at least all those that approved this move). If Obama and the Democrats are to have such a blatant infomercial, they should have to pay for the airtime.

I find the whole drudge report and RNC whining petty.
1. The request that was specifically denied was on June,24. Not the other 9 days.
2. The RNC is ASSUMING and BLATENTLY casting away ABC news anchors ability to formulate questions.

Quite frankly Frank Reynolds would be rolling in his grave if any organization attempted to impose themselves in on an event like this and attempted to undermine the Journalist credibility and ability to discern for themselves what questions they should ask.

The President is the Chief Executive. He is introducing a broad plan to the people, and quite honestly I would happy to hear what the plan is prior to the Republican party trying to oppose it.

Please note it is the republican party making the request, not a bunch of qualified Financial, Educational , and Health Professionals.

The president has a great deal of hope from a great deal of people invested in him. That's not a bad thing, nor is it grounds for a cult of personality nor hero worship. By all accounts, he is an intelligent and thoughtful man. Why is it so hard to think that, just maybe, he will be be able to do some good?

Let's not blame ABC, if there's blame to go around, let's blame Obama instead. For the first time in eight years we have a president who understands the power of mass media and is willing to use that power to his own advantage. He wants to take his message directly to the public. The best way to do that is to go on television and pitch his case. There's no better time to do that than during prime time, when most of the Americans who will be affected by this will be tuned in. They'll turn around and put pressure on their congressmen and senators to vote with the president.

Obama is also playing fair. He granted NBC unprecedented access for their two night special, so if ABC makes a similar request, how's it going to look if he gives NBC an exclusive but doesn't grant ABC an equal but different exclusive? Like he's playing favorites with NBC?

As for the GOP and their cries of unfairness, it's just sour grapes IMO. As much as Obama has a mandate from his base to change the system, I'm sure the GOP is also feeling the pressure from their constituents to keep the status quo, what amounts to a three class medical system, intact. Those who have the most get the best care by the best physicians in the best hospitals, those who have the least have to go to overcrowded inner city hospitals. I'm sure the privileged few like that system just the way it is. "Keep the riffraff out of our hospitals please." Mr. Obama is begging to differ and the GOP doesn't like that, well, too bad, you lost. Our guy's in office now. Change is a bitter pill to swallow for those who benefit from the status quo, i'd recommend they just grit their teeth and swallow that pill, it's going to happen whether they want it to or not.

Why are people so against low yields?! If lower yields means more people can travel abroad, i'm all for it

Quoting PC12Fan (Reply 3):on't sweat it - here is no one else that (cough) does this sort of (cough - FOX) thing (FOX).

God forbid one station broadcasts from a right-of-center viewpoint, as opposed to the following stations which broadcast from a left-of-center to a leftist viewpoint:

CNN
CNN - Headline News
MSNBC
ABC
NBC
CBS

The more and more I hear liberals whine about Fox News, the more and more I believe they think the media should strictly be the mouthpiece for the DNC -- without regard to neutrality.

Anyway, as for the thread topic. Are you really surprised? What's even more apalling is that no other stations are questioning this. Instead, I have a feeling they are kicking themselves since they didn't get the invite.

Quoting Jcs17 (Reply 14):The more and more I hear liberals whine about Fox News

This makes me laugh. You're complaining about liberals whining about Fox News? Look around you on this board! You can't have a political discussion here without conservatives falling back on the argument that the media is liberal. Hell, I think that's all that L-188 knows how to say! When you run out of arguments, blame the liberal media. Don't bother with supporting your argument, just throw the label out there.

It's not the same as when someone criticizes Fox for presenting a lie as fact, and brings the facts to back it up. If you can *substantiate* your criticism of other media outlets like people do when criticizing Fox, you'll get further in your arguments. But until then, stop using it as a crutch.

Quoting Jcs17 (Reply 14):Are you really surprised? What's even more apalling is that no other stations are questioning this.

Maybe it's because everyone else read the whole article, including the conclusion:

"ABCNEWS prides itself on covering all sides of important issues and asking direct questions of all newsmakers -- of all political persuasions -- even when others have taken a more partisan approach and even in the face of criticism from extremes on both ends of the political spectrum. ABCNEWS is looking for the most thoughtful and diverse voices on this issue.

"ABCNEWS alone will select those who will be in the audience asking questions of the president. Like any programs we broadcast, ABC News will have complete editorial control. To suggest otherwise is quite unfair to both our journalists and our audience."

Sounds like you guys shouldn't simply accept as gospel the words of the RNC. ESPECIALLY if you're going to criticize the media for being liberally biased.

Send me a PM at http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/sendmessage.main?from_username=NULL

Quoting Cws818 (Reply 9):As though that line were not already shredded to death.

Well, excuse me for not researching snappy one liners. If you're going to leave a straight line out there, you've got to expect a comeback.

That comeback is really more of a comment on the people that fawn all over him rather than the man himself.

Quoting Cws818 (Reply 9):The president has a great deal of hope from a great deal of people invested in him. That's not a bad thing, nor is it grounds for a cult of personality nor hero worship. By all accounts, he is an intelligent and thoughtful man. Why is it so hard to think that, just maybe, he will be be able to do some good?

Sorry, if I just based what I thought on his experience level and not his personality. The sooner we start putting leaders in power that have nothing to do with their looks or style, the better off we'll all be, no matter which side you're on.

Quoting D L X (Reply 15):It's not the same as when someone criticizes Fox for presenting a lie as fact, and brings the facts to back it up. If you can *substantiate* your criticism of other media outlets like people do when criticizing Fox, you'll get further in your arguments. But until then, stop using it as a crutch.

"Presenting a lie as fact"... I guess that's what journalism errors are called if you are a right-of-center news organization. I would also posit that there have been many, many more "presenting a lie as fact" by liberal news outlets. After all, American liberalism as a whole deals tends to favor emotional arguments over facts and logic -- and actually the healthcare debate is a perfect example of that.

Quoting Jcs17 (Reply 17):"Presenting a lie as fact"... I guess that's what journalism errors are called if you are a right-of-center news organization.

"Obama went to school at a madrassa in Indonesia." - Steve Doocy. That's not journalistic error, that's reporting a lie and presenting it as fact, and it has happened more than once at Fox News.

Now, when it happens at other media outlets, you'll note that I rail on them too. If you have paid much attention to my posts over the last 10 years, you'll know that I absolutely HATE the media, and I'm not afraid of calling anyone out.

Quoting Mayor (Reply 16):Quoting Cws818 (Reply 9):
As though that line were not already shredded to death.

Well, excuse me for not researching snappy one liners. If you're going to leave a straight line out there, you've got to expect a comeback.

That wasn't my intention in making the comment. My point was more that if, say, George Washington were to rise from the grave and become president tomorrow, we would probably still find a din of discord and displeasure.

Quoting Mayor (Reply 16):I don't know about you, but I'd rather have a little more certainty than "just maybe". That's almost as vague as "change" and "hope".

So would I. Who wouldn't? But when things that have not yet come to be are at issue, it is rare, indeed, to have such certainty. Additionally, "'change' and 'hope'" are not really bad things.

Quoting Cws818 (Reply 20):That wasn't my intention in making the comment. My point was more that if, say, George Washington were to rise from the grave and become president tomorrow, we would probably still find a din of discord and displeasure.

My point was more about how the President has been fawned over, during the election and after and the behavior of the people doing the fawning.

"A committee is a group of the unprepared, appointed by the unwilling, to do the unnecessary"----Fred Allen

Quoting Ken777 (Reply 23):Why not compare his level of education with that of the previous president. Oooops! That would be embarrassing.

Why does every discussion of Obama have to revert back to what Bush was or wasn't? I'm talking about Obama, here and not Bush. Bush was a monumental mistake and we all KNOW THAT. How about, when we state something about Obama (without any reference to Bush) that you respond to THAT instead of deflecting it by throwing Bush in the mix.

"A committee is a group of the unprepared, appointed by the unwilling, to do the unnecessary"----Fred Allen

25 Jcs17
: Ummm.... yeah. You might want to do some elementary research before you decide to denigrate anyone's level of education. Bush - BA, Yale. MBA, Harvar

26 DXing
: I've never understood this. The Drudge Report is, by and large, a collection of news stories and op ed pieces written by other orginizations and peop

27 D L X
: Dude, he graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law, and was the president of the Harvard Law Review. Then he was a professor at Chicago Law School.